Most wireless access points (APs) of a wireless network, for example, a Wi-Fi AP, are configured to broadcast their network name (e.g., service set identifier (SSID)). This broadcasting allows mobile user devices (i.e., wireless clients) to detect the presence of a wireless network when scanning for wireless networks within its transmission range (i.e., in range). In response to determining that one or more wireless networks are within its range, a mobile user device may indicate the presence of available networks to the user (e.g., as part of a user interface display) and/or may automatically connect to one of the detected wireless networks, for example, through predefined auto-connection logic.
There are, however, many APs on the market today that can be configured not to broadcast the SSIDs of the wireless networks for which they provide access. As used herein, a “hidden network” is a network for which a network identifier (e.g., name) is not broadcast from a wireless access point. Further, a “broadcast network” is a network for which a network identifier is a broadcast from a wireless access point. Mobile user devices that have knowledge of these hidden networks and want to connect to them, need to actively probe for them based on the network SSID. Due to the perceived security benefit of not broadcasting an SSID, the practice of hiding the SSID has become fairly common in wireless deployments.
While some operating systems, such as, for example, Windows® XP, support connections to hidden networks, the overall connection logic and user interface of such operating systems are designed for networks that broadcast their SSID. As a result, the user interface and auto-connection logic are not able to handle hidden networks in a graceful manner.